Last June, LaDainian Tomlinson signed a ceremonial contract. He held up a jersey, posed for pictures, and discussed how this was the end.

But two months ago, Tomlinson says he met Chargers General Manager Tom Telesco and coach Mike McCoy, and they expressed hope it wasn't.

The future Hall of Fame running back told Yahoo! Sports the new administration wanted him to come out of retirement and play for San Diego in 2013. The conversation came before San Diego added depth to its backfield in free agency, signing Danny Woodhead and re-signing Ronnie Brown.

Tomlinson turns 34 this June.

"I met Tom Telesco and Mike McCoy at the (NFL) Combine, and they asked me to come back and play," Tomlinson said. "I saw (executive vice president) John Spanos at a restaurant in Indy, and he introduced me to them, and they brought it up. At first I thought they weren't really serious, but they kept talking about it, and I realized it was real. They said, 'You can come back and carry it 10 or 12 times a game. We'd like to have you here.'

Tomlinson told Yahoo! Sports that, while flattered, he wasn't tempted to come out of retirement.

"No, because when I made the decision to walk away, I wrestled with it long and hard, and I knew it was final," Tomlinson said. "Once I retired, that was it. My mind is in a different place. Mentally, going back would have been too hard."